Things people say when you’re planning a homebirth

At the slightest provocation–the mere hint of an opportunity–I tell people I had a homebirth (now ten months ago!). When I was pregnant, I told everyone and anyone that I was planning one. People’s reactions fell into a few main catagories:

1) “You’re crazy–you’ll be begging to go to the hospital and get that epidural!”

2) “You’re crazy–what if something goes wrong and it’s an emergency?”

3) “Really? A homebirth? What’s that?”

4) “That’s great! I [or my mother, my sister, my wife, my daughter, etc.] had a homebirth and it was the best experience!”

Obviously, #4 was the most gratifying, but I also found #3–a genuine plea for information–really fun to respond to. I wasn’t even unhappy about getting responses like the first two, though, because while part of the reason I told people about my birth plan was that I was excited about it and wanted to talk more about it, another part of the reason was my desire to educate people. Basically, I was thrilled to talk statistics, to explain my research, and to try to convince people of the safety of homebirth.

All too often, though, I hear people who had a homebirth say things like, “Well, we didn’t tell anyone we were planning a homebirth because we knew they’d freak out,” or “We didn’t want people to look at us funny, and we didn’t want to have to explain ourselves.” But, really, why be silent? Talking about your birth is free publicity for homebirth and midwives! So be brave, homebirthers–get out there and talk about your births!

So true! When we first took my child to the pediatrician, they asked what hospital he was born at. We told them he was born at home, and it was all blank stares. I know that homebirth isn’t for everyone, but I do think it’s great for women to be informed about it as a viable option!